Thanks @Snowie, the transition is harder than I thought, I'm having to micro-manage now that we are allowed to use stoves hahaha. I'm used to giving everyone enough fruit and veg to last them a couple of days, and micro-managing their eating. I was wrapped to see that adults can use the journal, but to write books, the computer just seems odd, has that person updated the journal for writing books mod? I don't usually like downloading mods and 0 gen is just about to pass over and I'm thinking about the no culling one too, everyone using these been going ok?
Thanks @Snowie, the transition is harder than I thought, I'm having to micro-manage now that we are allowed to use stoves hahaha. I'm used to giving everyone enough fruit and veg to last them a couple of days, and micro-managing their eating. I was wrapped to see that adults can use the journal, but to write books, the computer just seems odd, has that person updated the journal for writing books mod? I don't usually like downloading mods and 0 gen is just about to pass over and I'm thinking about the no culling one too, everyone using these been going ok?
I recommend MCCC over the no culling mod, since it lets you specifically set Sims who shouldn't be culled. The only issue with the no culling mod is that since nobody gets culled, the game starts to lag over time. I think it's largely untested on a save that has lasted through an entire Legacy/History challenge. The journal mod is... touchy. You can start books just fine with it, but to resume writing you have to resume through a computer on the lot (I keep mine in a closed-off basement). They also tend to leave the notebook random places such as in bookshelves and on railings, so it can be a bit of a hassle to find. As far as bugs popping up in game with these mods installed, I believe all is well. I can't vouch for the no culling mod since I don't use it, but MCCC and the notebook mod both seem to work fine. If you choose to install MCCC, know that it may seem like it's causing errors, but in actuality it's just notifying you of when little errors pop up. The game does the same thing, except you don't see them unless you look for the logs they make.
An alternative to the journal mod would be this Ancient Loom CC, which is essentially just a re-skinned computer. Your Sims are writing a novel with a loom, though, which has always bothered me and as such I've yet to use it.
PS: Let me know how your experience with this Era is. I've yet to finish it, and I'm concerned about a couple of the goals.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
Thanks @Snowie, yes I too am using the computer but only taking it out of the family inventory when I need my heir to write. I am a little worried about the 7 best sellers, but he is only at level 4 writing yet, and am up to 26 collectibles on display but only just started. Having an absolute ball with this challenge though, it's good to have a few harder goals, but I also don't like failing either, so may have a backup save just in case lol. The loom sounds awesome, I guess the modders work with what they can, might have to have a look at that. About the MCCC. it's a bit too big a mod for me, gamewise, but I plan to keep strengthening them to the world so hopefully this works ok, I don't plan on leaving any tombstones on other lots, can you retrieve them from other lots if they die there? I hope so
Thanks @Snowie, yes I too am using the computer but only taking it out of the family inventory when I need my heir to write. I am a little worried about the 7 best sellers, but he is only at level 4 writing yet, and am up to 26 collectibles on display but only just started. Having an absolute ball with this challenge though, it's good to have a few harder goals, but I also don't like failing either, so may have a backup save just in case lol. The loom sounds awesome, I guess the modders work with what they can, might have to have a look at that. About the MCCC. it's a bit too big a mod for me, gamewise, but I plan to keep strengthening them to the world so hopefully this works ok, I don't plan on leaving any tombstones on other lots, can you retrieve them from other lots if they die there? I hope so
I believe you'll be able to visit the lot they died on and find a tombstone/urn there, but I'm not 100% sure. Probably best to hang around your Sims who you know are going to die if you want to be sure to get their tombstone. Only 26 collectibles? Maybe I'm just a hoarder, but I usually have that goal nearly finished by the time the era starts. I was actually considering raising it, but if you and other players feel it isn't too easy I'll leave it as is.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
Hi @Snowie, well, I must admit I haven't been keeping them all, I completed the frog collection in the first era, and rocks and fossils I kept in the hope of completing the collections, but all else they happened to find I sold, oops. Anyway, gives me something to aim for, it's going to be tough lol.
Hi @Snowie, well, I must admit I haven't been keeping them all, I completed the frog collection in the first era, and rocks and fossils I kept in the hope of completing the collections, but all else they happened to find I sold, oops. Anyway, gives me something to aim for, it's going to be tough lol.
Fair enough, lol. I always found woodworking to be my big money maker for the $10k goal, and usually only worry about collecting for the first few days when my Sims can't work on handiness. Any other collectibles after that get stored in family inventory for the goal in Early Civ. I also mount and keep one of each fish I catch, especially the anglerfish that is one of the Prehistoric goals. I wish the feather displays from Cats & Dogs weren't so modern looking, as collecting feathers seems like a very Prehistoric thing to do.
Edit: Keep in mind that harvestables are technically collectibles too. I keep mine on a shelf in the Early Civ kitchen.
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Yes, @Snowie that is exactly what I did with the harvestables, it really looks authentic actually and I was please with how it all turned out. I completed the goals, but it was close, right down to the wire, surprisingly the hardest part was the 4000 in tips. I think they must have retweaked it since I've done any playing for tips cause it's capped at 20 per tip when maxed, usually she went all day until she nearly collapsed just to make 300 on good days. The 7 bestsellers was close too lol and I also hung my fish. I will upload the finished lot on the gallery. I'm just trying to find some nice clothing to download for the middle ages, soooo looking forward to this one!!!
Hi @Snowie I have just reached the end of the early civilization era and am a bit confused as to when to take the final figure of what they have in the bank at the end. With the first era, they really didn't buy much so they had a lot of money at the end, but do I take the figure after demolishing the lot? or what they have before I demolish and rebuild? I honestly can't remember what I did end of first era
Hi @Snowie I have just reached the end of the early civilization era and am a bit confused as to when to take the final figure of what they have in the bank at the end. With the first era, they really didn't buy much so they had a lot of money at the end, but do I take the figure after demolishing the lot? or what they have before I demolish and rebuild? I honestly can't remember what I did end of first era
I take how much money you have after bulldozing (but not building) minus the amount you had post-bulldoze at the beginning of the era to get the total amount made during the era. It overall doesn't really matter, as long as you're comparing from the same point each time. If you do the comparison before demolishing the house, be sure to take the lot value into account as well--but I think that number includes the base cost of the empty lot, which is why it's different from the total money after a bulldoze. If that made any sense at all, lol.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
I am just starting this challenge and am in the prehistoric era. My founding couple just had their first child. I think having an infant will be fairly simple rules wise but I was wondering what the specific rules were for toddlers. What type of items are allowed related to toddlers and what have people been feeding their toddlers? Do you just put fruits/veggies from their parents inventories in the toddlers and let them eat them?
Hi @nikki324 Welcome!! That's what I did, it's actually very easy to manage that way, they can always have food. My toddlers had no toys lol so they spent their time running around making messes lol, and I had tents, which they can sleep in which is great.
I am just starting this challenge and am in the prehistoric era. My founding couple just had their first child. I think having an infant will be fairly simple rules wise but I was wondering what the specific rules were for toddlers. What type of items are allowed related to toddlers and what have people been feeding their toddlers? Do you just put fruits/veggies from their parents inventories in the toddlers and let them eat them?
As @Dglbr1969 said, giving the toddlers fruit/veggies is usually the easiest way to feed them for the most part. Making fish and placing the plate somewhere where the toddler can get to it also works, but the harvestables are easier to manage. Toddlers being able to sleep in tents was only added to the game recently, so that's a great place for them to sleep if you don't want to use beds (which are also allowed). The toddlers can also have blocks to play with, and once you've unlocked toilets through woodworking they can use toddler potties as well.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
Hi @Snowie , just a question with the middle ages, does it have to be the same sim that paints the 10 masterpieces? or can it be a combination of the partners? Just to clarify
Hi @Snowie , just a question with the middle ages, does it have to be the same sim that paints the 10 masterpieces? or can it be a combination of the partners? Just to clarify
Thanks
Since it doesn't specifically say one Sim, and there's already a couple one-Sim goals in that Era, I would say it can be just 10 masterpieces total painted in that Era--regardless of who the painter is. That said, my experience with painting in this game is that it's easiest to get masterpieces by having one Sim grind painting pretty much 24/7. I think being inspired also increases your chances of making a masterpiece. If you have a Sim doing the painter career, the easels you get as career rewards will also increase the chance of a masterpiece.
On a side note, if you bring in a commissioned painter for your family portraits, any masterpieces he/she paints wouldn't count toward that goal since they're not technically part of your challenge family.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
Hi @Snowie I'm sorry I seem to be stalking this thread, and the only one posting? Oh well, I'm just checking in to tell you I'm having a blast with this challenge and totally NOT finding it too easy at all either, a really good balance of difficulty! I apologise if this is stated somewhere, but I just haven't seen it mentioned, I am now entering the Old West Era and am pretty sure kids started to go to school, even so far as boarding with other families if they lived on a ranch outside of town. None of my kids so far have gone to school, and lucky, nobody has been taken away by social services yet, but am wondering whether they can start going now in this era?
Again, I hope I haven't missed a whole paragraph somewhere
Hi @Snowie I'm sorry I seem to be stalking this thread, and the only one posting? Oh well, I'm just checking in to tell you I'm having a blast with this challenge and totally NOT finding it too easy at all either, a really good balance of difficulty! I apologise if this is stated somewhere, but I just haven't seen it mentioned, I am now entering the Old West Era and am pretty sure kids started to go to school, even so far as boarding with other families if they lived on a ranch outside of town. None of my kids so far have gone to school, and lucky, nobody has been taken away by social services yet, but am wondering whether they can start going now in this era?
Again, I hope I haven't missed a whole paragraph somewhere
I'm glad you're enjoying the challenge! As far as I can tell there's plenty of people who are playing this challenge (or lurking on the Google doc, at least), but not everyone needs/wants to post here, which is fine too! I try to check in at least once a day to see if anyone needs help, so you can post as often as you want
It's entirely up to you when to send your kids to school. Old West is probably when it's most historically accurate, but it's extremely annoying to cancel the kids/teens going to school for that many generations so I leave it up to the player. If you have Parenthood, you can start doing school projects once you have kids actively attending school, but that's the only school-related rule.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
Thanks @Snowie I've persisted and got through it, although I can understand people not wanting to, but I like to keep it real, so ... I am really looking forward to letting them go to school now lol and I do have parenthood
Hey guys! Just a quick note here in case anyone was wondering, with the latest patch there were a few things added that I wanted to let you know how it fits into the challenge rules. (I'll be adding these with the full update once Seasons comes out.)
- You can buy seed packets from build/buy at any time.
- Glass roofs and gardening updates have no restrictions.
- No using the re-pick traits potion. I know it costs 5k satisfaction points, but if I were to allow it you would still be required to randomize the new traits of your Sims anyway. Let me know if you really want this to be allowed, and I'll think on it some more.
Thoughts for Seasons:
- Beekeeping allowed throughout the challenge.
- Skating and Flower Arranging allowed in Early Civ. and onward.
- Weather machine not allowed until Modern Day.
- Make/delete holidays as you see fit! Use this to make some cool historically accurate holidays, etc. You can even *technically* make a holiday each day that gives your Sims the day off from school, thus negating the need for cancelling their "going to school" interactions every day.
- Seasons will undoubtedly make this challenge, at least the Prehistoric Era, significantly more difficult. When starting out the challenge with Seasons, you'll probably want to start in Spring so that you can *hopefully* have walls by the time Winter rolls around.
- I haven't decided when the thermostat will be allowed, since it is very modern in design but is also integral to Seasons and helping your Sims survive. If fireplaces provide a lot of heat, I may restrict it until the Industrial Age.
General plans/musings:
- No bathtubs in the Prehistoric Era. The only thing keeping me from making this change is the need for bathtubs to wash toddlers. Since this challenge requires OR, I'll look into using the deodorizing cream (unlocked at level 2 Herbalism). It's always seemed a bit silly to me that Prehistoric Sims would be using modern plumbing but still can't figure out how to build a structurally sound house.
- In that same frame of mind, no fridge/oven in Early Civilization. Cloudseeker never really wanted these to be available in this Era, they were only added because you pretty much had to bake a cake in order to achieve the goal of getting a gold medal on a house party. I still don't have a viable alternative for this goal, but when I do I'll look more into restricting these objects until a later Era.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
Hey guys! Just a quick note here in case anyone was wondering, with the latest patch there were a few things added that I wanted to let you know how it fits into the challenge rules. (I'll be adding these with the full update once Seasons comes out.)
- You can buy seed packets from build/buy at any time.
- Glass roofs and gardening updates have no restrictions.
- No using the re-pick traits potion. I know it costs 5k satisfaction points, but if I were to allow it you would still be required to randomize the new traits of your Sims anyway. Let me know if you really want this to be allowed, and I'll think on it some more.
Thoughts for Seasons:
- Beekeeping allowed throughout the challenge.
- Skating and Flower Arranging allowed in Early Civ. and onward.
- Weather machine not allowed until Modern Day.
- Make/delete holidays as you see fit! Use this to make some cool historically accurate holidays, etc. You can even *technically* make a holiday each day that gives your Sims the day off from school, thus negating the need for cancelling their "going to school" interactions every day.
- Seasons will undoubtedly make this challenge, at least the Prehistoric Era, significantly more difficult. When starting out the challenge with Seasons, you'll probably want to start in Spring so that you can *hopefully* have walls by the time Winter rolls around.
- I haven't decided when the thermostat will be allowed, since it is very modern in design but is also integral to Seasons and helping your Sims survive. If fireplaces provide a lot of heat, I may restrict it until the Industrial Age.
General plans/musings:
- No bathtubs in the Prehistoric Era. The only thing keeping me from making this change is the need for bathtubs to wash toddlers. Since this challenge requires OR, I'll look into using the deodorizing cream (unlocked at level 2 Herbalism). It's always seemed a bit silly to me that Prehistoric Sims would be using modern plumbing but still can't figure out how to build a structurally sound house.
- In that same frame of mind, no fridge/oven in Early Civilization. Cloudseeker never really wanted these to be available in this Era, they were only added because you pretty much had to bake a cake in order to achieve the goal of getting a gold medal on a house party. I still don't have a viable alternative for this goal, but when I do I'll look more into restricting these objects until a later Era.
-I still think no purchasing seeds until Early Civilization Era
-Ive never randomized for traits, but maybe limit to only be used on sims brought into the family or heir spouses only? Or possibly limit to 1 time per era?
-I agree to all the possible season updates. I cant tell if im happy or annoyed that i finished prehistoric era before it was released.
-The bathtub baffled me too. In the end I let my sim craft one on the work bench and only then did my toddler get to use it. Made it a little more challenging since you have to get a high handiness skill amd i had to really grind in order to get it built before they had nooboos. The adults swam in "ponds/lakes" with the hygeine mod so they were not allowed to use it at all. (This wouldnt work for non-modders though)
-One idea on the fridge is to limit the amount of time you can keep things in the fridge (one week and then toss it out, for example) and like in prehistoric only use what you have on hand (fish, veggitables, fruits, etc.). Early civilizations started using cooler or underground areas to store things to keep them cold (but of course couldn't keep it forever). The oven is trickier. They used stone ovens to make breads and such which would be similar to cakes(?). Maybe limit the oven to only cakes and stews and such while still being able to roast fish and beetles and such over the fire.
Just thoughts to maybe make it work better. Bad thing is they could do all these things back then, just in a limited version.
@MadameLee I'm counting on campfires keeping our Prehistoric Sims warm! @Sarahkay Thanks for the suggestions! I'll do my best to address them below:
- Seed packets haven't ever been restricted, you could always purchase them via a plant pot which you could either buy up front or craft at level 1-2 woodworking. It might be a bit too easy to get a good garden going if you can just buy seed packets for it, but I figure it's mostly as though you've bought those seeds from a neighboring tribe/family. I never bought seed packets, though, because I liked the idea of making my Sims hunt for the different plants.
- The re-traiting potion still seems a bit cheaty to me, but I like the idea of using it once per Era. On a side note...
I've always been a bit conflicted about randomizing traits. It's a big part of the Legacy challenge, which this is loosely based on, because it forces you as a player to deal with the cards you've been dealt, so to speak. When you play, do you find it repetitive to be able to make "perfect" Sims all the time? I like the conflict that a "bad" trait can bring, but when given the choice will almost always pick safe, useful traits.
- I'm deeply considering starting a fresh playthrough once Seasons is out. (Will I ever make it through all 7 Eras?)
- The bathtub/toilet (if you have Get Together) always seemed out of place to me. At the same time, they felt like a reward for maxing the Handiness skill early enough and were a huge relief as I no longer had to force my Sims to swim every day. I've got to do some testing with the deodorizing cream to see if toddlers can use it, as that is sometimes even better than a hot bath for our Prehistoric Sims. It's interesting that this patch added a swimwear sort for toddlers, I also want to test to see if we can somehow swim with our toddlers now that they have swimwear. Probably not, but it bothers me that the addition to the base game will be functionally useless without the kiddie pools from Seasons. On a side note, I haven't had the hygiene from swimming mod installed for a loooong time. Your Sims can get hygiene while swimming without it, it just only ever fills the bar up halfway. Back on the topic of bathrooms, I would probably still allow them in Early Civilization despite them obviously still not fitting the Era. Similar to cancelling kids going to school every day, using pools or even deodorizing cream is a tedious action that I don't want to force on people for too long.
- All of your suggestions are fair and historically accurate as far as fridges and ovens go, but I'm disinclined to use them. There are a LOT of rules and restrictions in this challenge, and I don't want to make it more confusing by restricting little things like what food you can/can't make. If we can find a good alternative to the Early Civ. party goal and eating campfire food for another generation isn't too frustrating, I'll happily remove both of them until the next Era. Perhaps a good middle ground would be allowing a fridge and a grill, and the oven in the next Era. That way you can still make and store meals, but can't use the more modern functions of the oven. I'll test and see if you can grill with just a cooler, or if a fridge is required. Not entirely sure why, but a basic cooler seems better than a fully functioning fridge.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
It's update day! This one's a long one, with a few challenge-wide rule changes so be sure to read through it all.
Change Log (6/25/18) Update for Seasons and game version 1.44
Challenge-wide rule: You may only use the Re-Traiting Potion once per Era. This means you can use this potion a maximum of seven times. You must randomize all three traits when you use it, but may reroll five times instead of three.
- This is kinda-sorta a placeholder rule at the moment; it isn’t set in stone. I’m going to test this challenge without the rule about randomizing all traits and see how I like it. If it still feels challenging and entertaining with hand-picked traits, I may change the rules accordingly to allow players to choose their own traits throughout the challenge.
You may purchase seed packets at any time.
- This includes seeds now able to be purchased directly via buy mode (added in the Seasons patch), and purchasing seeds from plant pots (the original way you could do this).
- While not technically a rule, I wanted to point this out here in case anyone was wondering. I won’t be adding it to any sections in the main rules outline (unless you think it will be confusing otherwise).
Glass Roofs cannot be used until the Old West.
- I originally wasn’t going to restrict these, but it wouldn’t be realistic to allow your Prehistoric Sims to construct fancy glass roofs with the added benefit of any plants under the roof growing year-round.
The Bee Box may be purchased in the Prehistoric Era and onward.
- I did a bit of research to see when beekeeping historically started, and was surprised to find it’s been around since before what this challenge classifies as “Early Civilization”. The wax our Early Civ Sims use for their candles have to come from somewhere, after all.
Male Sims may join the Botanist branch of the Gardener career in the Middle Ages. They cannot do the Floral Designer branch until the Industrial Age. Female Sims may join the Botanist or Floral Designer branch starting in the Industrial Age.
Ice Skating/Roller Skating rinks can be used starting in Early Civilization.
- These spawn at random locations in the worlds, so one may be in your local neighborhood. While I’m sure Prehistoric Sims wouldn’t have anything against using these, historically people only began to make skating a passtime in Early Civilization Eras.
Sims may purchase and use the Flower Arranging table in Early Civilization and onward.
- People didn’t really start using potted plants/flowers to decorate their homes until this time period. Besides, I didn’t want to start up the debate again on whether gardening should count towards the 20k goal in the Prehistoric Era or not.
The Weather Machine can’t be used until Modern Day.
- If you’re playing with seasons with this challenge, you don’t get to cheat mother nature! We’ll all just have to suffer together.
The Thermostat is allowed in the Industrial Age and onward.
- If your Sims are getting cold, try using fireplaces to warm up your house!
Umbrellas may be used in Early Civilization and onward.
Water Balloon Buckets may be used in the Old West and onward.
- You might want to take advantage of that pool lot from the Prehistoric Era to keep you cool in the summer.
Challenge-Wide Rule: Holidays may be created/deleted at any time during the challenge.
- Use this feature to make fun Holidays for each Era!
- You can also use the holidays to keep your kids/teens out of school by making a holiday every weekday that gives your Sims the day off. Keep in mind this will give your adults the day off from work too, though.
Toddler Pools (Kiddie pools) are allowed in the Prehistoric Era and onward.
- In fact, if you have Seasons installed, you won’t be allowed to use bathtubs in this Era. You’ll have to use toddler pools to clean up your toddlers, and either a pool or Deodorizing Cream (Herbalism Skill Level 2) to keep your kids-elders clean. This is noted in the change below.
You may no longer use crafted items if they aren’t allowed for the current Era.
- This means that players with Jungle Adventures and/or Get Together can’t use toilets until Early Civilization, and (as noted above) players with Seasons can’t use bathtubs until Early Civilization. You must instead use the toilet bushes or the toddler pools, respectively.
- This rule mostly only applies to the Prehistoric Era, since everything crafted on the woodworking bench is allowed after that Era.
- You can still sell anything crafted at the woodworking bench, and can store crafted items in the family inventory to be used in a later Era.
Bathtubs are allowed in the Prehistoric Era Part Two, but only for toddler use.
- Allowed bathtubs here to support the above rule change.
- These aren’t allowed if you have Seasons.
And finally, a note for Seasons players.
- Enjoying your lovely new rain/snowfall? Well, you probably won’t be in this challenge. Seasons adds a whole new layer of difficulty to this challenge, but since it’s an optional pack you can change the in-game seasons settings as you see fit. The ones I’m talking about are found in Options>Seasons. If you want a hardcore experience, though, you’ll leave those death settings on.
- If you’re starting a new challenge with Seasons installed, you’ll probably want to set the season to Spring. This will give you time to reach the second part of the Prehistoric Era and at least give your Sims a hut to retreat to when it gets too cold. That, and a warm bed.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
I just started this been waiting for seasons to come out. I am using a few mods to make it harder for me sunburn mod, coolersickness, mod emotional robuky mods wicked whim bc there no beds (but not going to justify that mod will never leave but the one I download swim to hygiene do not work for me Sooo wanted to know May I use the functional ground hot tub and the rock waterfall shower but imma only use those on the pool lot making me have to leave the home everyday almost i also do laundry at the pool or go smelly using slob trait make it easy to not be bothered with being in dirty surrounding but so far that the only question. Also i got no tub for toddler on home lot it at the pool too.
I just started this been waiting for seasons to come out. I am using a few mods to make it harder for me sunburn mod, coolersickness, mod emotional robuky mods wicked whim bc there no beds (but not going to justify that mod will never leave but the one I download swim to hygiene do not work for me Sooo wanted to know May I use the functional ground hot tub and the rock waterfall shower but imma only use those on the pool lot making me have to leave the home everyday almost i also do laundry at the pool or go smelly using slob trait make it easy to not be bothered with being in dirty surrounding but so far that the only question. Also i got no tub for toddler on home lot it at the pool too.
Hi, welcome to the challenge! I hope you're liking it so far. The latest update for it (in the wake of seasons) changed a lot of things, including the use of bathtubs in the Prehistoric Era. If you have seasons installed, the ways to get hygiene up are to swim and use deodorizing cream (level 2 herbalism recipe from outdoor retreat). I tested it out and toddlers do get hygiene from the toddler pools in seasons, which is what you have to use for them.
In regards to the hygiene mod not working, try taking it out. I don't know when, but at some point in the last year the Sims team patched the game to give your sims hygiene while swimming, so the mod isn't necessary. If it hasn't been updated by the author for seasons, it probably is what's disabling all hygiene gain for your Sims. I've been playing without it for a long time now and my Sims gain hygiene just fine. Do note that their bar will only fill halfway from swimming, though. The deodorizing cream is a good alternative if you have a good supply of its ingredients (it doesn't require bugs, just a couple herbs and berries), but won't work for toddlers. I haven't tested it with children, but I think they can use it too.
If taking the outdated mod out doesn't work then by all means use any CC you find appropriate to make the game functional for you. The allowed/disallowed objects are mostly restricted due to historic accuracy and doesn't assume that people are using CC. If you find some CC that will make your experience more enjoyable, then use it! Even if it isn't allowed for the era. Some things are restricted for a difficulty balance, but in the end it's your game and up to you what you do/don't add into it.
Hope that helps! As always, let me know if you find anything too hard/broken/odd as you're playing along. Reports and suggestions here really do help.
Playing the History Challenge? Make sure you have the up-to-date rules here!
Comments
I recommend MCCC over the no culling mod, since it lets you specifically set Sims who shouldn't be culled. The only issue with the no culling mod is that since nobody gets culled, the game starts to lag over time. I think it's largely untested on a save that has lasted through an entire Legacy/History challenge. The journal mod is... touchy. You can start books just fine with it, but to resume writing you have to resume through a computer on the lot (I keep mine in a closed-off basement). They also tend to leave the notebook random places such as in bookshelves and on railings, so it can be a bit of a hassle to find. As far as bugs popping up in game with these mods installed, I believe all is well. I can't vouch for the no culling mod since I don't use it, but MCCC and the notebook mod both seem to work fine. If you choose to install MCCC, know that it may seem like it's causing errors, but in actuality it's just notifying you of when little errors pop up. The game does the same thing, except you don't see them unless you look for the logs they make.
An alternative to the journal mod would be this Ancient Loom CC, which is essentially just a re-skinned computer. Your Sims are writing a novel with a loom, though, which has always bothered me and as such I've yet to use it.
PS: Let me know how your experience with this Era is. I've yet to finish it, and I'm concerned about a couple of the goals.
I believe you'll be able to visit the lot they died on and find a tombstone/urn there, but I'm not 100% sure. Probably best to hang around your Sims who you know are going to die if you want to be sure to get their tombstone. Only 26 collectibles? Maybe I'm just a hoarder, but I usually have that goal nearly finished by the time the era starts. I was actually considering raising it, but if you and other players feel it isn't too easy I'll leave it as is.
Fair enough, lol. I always found woodworking to be my big money maker for the $10k goal, and usually only worry about collecting for the first few days when my Sims can't work on handiness. Any other collectibles after that get stored in family inventory for the goal in Early Civ. I also mount and keep one of each fish I catch, especially the anglerfish that is one of the Prehistoric goals. I wish the feather displays from Cats & Dogs weren't so modern looking, as collecting feathers seems like a very Prehistoric thing to do.
Edit: Keep in mind that harvestables are technically collectibles too. I keep mine on a shelf in the Early Civ kitchen.
As @Dglbr1969 said, giving the toddlers fruit/veggies is usually the easiest way to feed them for the most part. Making fish and placing the plate somewhere where the toddler can get to it also works, but the harvestables are easier to manage. Toddlers being able to sleep in tents was only added to the game recently, so that's a great place for them to sleep if you don't want to use beds (which are also allowed). The toddlers can also have blocks to play with, and once you've unlocked toilets through woodworking they can use toddler potties as well.
Thanks
Since it doesn't specifically say one Sim, and there's already a couple one-Sim goals in that Era, I would say it can be just 10 masterpieces total painted in that Era--regardless of who the painter is. That said, my experience with painting in this game is that it's easiest to get masterpieces by having one Sim grind painting pretty much 24/7. I think being inspired also increases your chances of making a masterpiece. If you have a Sim doing the painter career, the easels you get as career rewards will also increase the chance of a masterpiece.
On a side note, if you bring in a commissioned painter for your family portraits, any masterpieces he/she paints wouldn't count toward that goal since they're not technically part of your challenge family.
Again, I hope I haven't missed a whole paragraph somewhere
I'm glad you're enjoying the challenge! As far as I can tell there's plenty of people who are playing this challenge (or lurking on the Google doc, at least), but not everyone needs/wants to post here, which is fine too! I try to check in at least once a day to see if anyone needs help, so you can post as often as you want
It's entirely up to you when to send your kids to school. Old West is probably when it's most historically accurate, but it's extremely annoying to cancel the kids/teens going to school for that many generations so I leave it up to the player. If you have Parenthood, you can start doing school projects once you have kids actively attending school, but that's the only school-related rule.
- You can buy seed packets from build/buy at any time.
- Glass roofs and gardening updates have no restrictions.
- No using the re-pick traits potion. I know it costs 5k satisfaction points, but if I were to allow it you would still be required to randomize the new traits of your Sims anyway. Let me know if you really want this to be allowed, and I'll think on it some more.
Thoughts for Seasons:
- Beekeeping allowed throughout the challenge.
- Skating and Flower Arranging allowed in Early Civ. and onward.
- Weather machine not allowed until Modern Day.
- Make/delete holidays as you see fit! Use this to make some cool historically accurate holidays, etc. You can even *technically* make a holiday each day that gives your Sims the day off from school, thus negating the need for cancelling their "going to school" interactions every day.
- Seasons will undoubtedly make this challenge, at least the Prehistoric Era, significantly more difficult. When starting out the challenge with Seasons, you'll probably want to start in Spring so that you can *hopefully* have walls by the time Winter rolls around.
- I haven't decided when the thermostat will be allowed, since it is very modern in design but is also integral to Seasons and helping your Sims survive. If fireplaces provide a lot of heat, I may restrict it until the Industrial Age.
General plans/musings:
- No bathtubs in the Prehistoric Era. The only thing keeping me from making this change is the need for bathtubs to wash toddlers. Since this challenge requires OR, I'll look into using the deodorizing cream (unlocked at level 2 Herbalism). It's always seemed a bit silly to me that Prehistoric Sims would be using modern plumbing but still can't figure out how to build a structurally sound house.
- In that same frame of mind, no fridge/oven in Early Civilization. Cloudseeker never really wanted these to be available in this Era, they were only added because you pretty much had to bake a cake in order to achieve the goal of getting a gold medal on a house party. I still don't have a viable alternative for this goal, but when I do I'll look more into restricting these objects until a later Era.
-I still think no purchasing seeds until Early Civilization Era
-Ive never randomized for traits, but maybe limit to only be used on sims brought into the family or heir spouses only? Or possibly limit to 1 time per era?
-I agree to all the possible season updates.
-The bathtub baffled me too. In the end I let my sim craft one on the work bench and only then did my toddler get to use it. Made it a little more challenging since you have to get a high handiness skill amd i had to really grind in order to get it built before they had nooboos. The adults swam in "ponds/lakes" with the hygeine mod so they were not allowed to use it at all. (This wouldnt work for non-modders though)
-One idea on the fridge is to limit the amount of time you can keep things in the fridge (one week and then toss it out, for example) and like in prehistoric only use what you have on hand (fish, veggitables, fruits, etc.). Early civilizations started using cooler or underground areas to store things to keep them cold (but of course couldn't keep it forever). The oven is trickier. They used stone ovens to make breads and such which would be similar to cakes(?). Maybe limit the oven to only cakes and stews and such while still being able to roast fish and beetles and such over the fire.
Just thoughts to maybe make it work better. Bad thing is they could do all these things back then, just in a limited version.
@Sarahkay Thanks for the suggestions! I'll do my best to address them below:
- Seed packets haven't ever been restricted, you could always purchase them via a plant pot which you could either buy up front or craft at level 1-2 woodworking. It might be a bit too easy to get a good garden going if you can just buy seed packets for it, but I figure it's mostly as though you've bought those seeds from a neighboring tribe/family. I never bought seed packets, though, because I liked the idea of making my Sims hunt for the different plants.
- The re-traiting potion still seems a bit cheaty to me, but I like the idea of using it once per Era. On a side note...
- The bathtub/toilet (if you have Get Together) always seemed out of place to me. At the same time, they felt like a reward for maxing the Handiness skill early enough and were a huge relief as I no longer had to force my Sims to swim every day. I've got to do some testing with the deodorizing cream to see if toddlers can use it, as that is sometimes even better than a hot bath for our Prehistoric Sims. It's interesting that this patch added a swimwear sort for toddlers, I also want to test to see if we can somehow swim with our toddlers now that they have swimwear. Probably not, but it bothers me that the addition to the base game will be functionally useless without the kiddie pools from Seasons. On a side note, I haven't had the hygiene from swimming mod installed for a loooong time. Your Sims can get hygiene while swimming without it, it just only ever fills the bar up halfway. Back on the topic of bathrooms, I would probably still allow them in Early Civilization despite them obviously still not fitting the Era. Similar to cancelling kids going to school every day, using pools or even deodorizing cream is a tedious action that I don't want to force on people for too long.
- All of your suggestions are fair and historically accurate as far as fridges and ovens go, but I'm disinclined to use them. There are a LOT of rules and restrictions in this challenge, and I don't want to make it more confusing by restricting little things like what food you can/can't make. If we can find a good alternative to the Early Civ. party goal and eating campfire food for another generation isn't too frustrating, I'll happily remove both of them until the next Era. Perhaps a good middle ground would be allowing a fridge and a grill, and the oven in the next Era. That way you can still make and store meals, but can't use the more modern functions of the oven. I'll test and see if you can grill with just a cooler, or if a fridge is required. Not entirely sure why, but a basic cooler seems better than a fully functioning fridge.
Change Log (6/25/18)
Update for Seasons and game version 1.44
- This is kinda-sorta a placeholder rule at the moment; it isn’t set in stone. I’m going to test this challenge without the rule about randomizing all traits and see how I like it. If it still feels challenging and entertaining with hand-picked traits, I may change the rules accordingly to allow players to choose their own traits throughout the challenge.
- This includes seeds now able to be purchased directly via buy mode (added in the Seasons patch), and purchasing seeds from plant pots (the original way you could do this).
- While not technically a rule, I wanted to point this out here in case anyone was wondering. I won’t be adding it to any sections in the main rules outline (unless you think it will be confusing otherwise).
- I originally wasn’t going to restrict these, but it wouldn’t be realistic to allow your Prehistoric Sims to construct fancy glass roofs with the added benefit of any plants under the roof growing year-round.
- I did a bit of research to see when beekeeping historically started, and was surprised to find it’s been around since before what this challenge classifies as “Early Civilization”. The wax our Early Civ Sims use for their candles have to come from somewhere, after all.
- These spawn at random locations in the worlds, so one may be in your local neighborhood. While I’m sure Prehistoric Sims wouldn’t have anything against using these, historically people only began to make skating a passtime in Early Civilization Eras.
- People didn’t really start using potted plants/flowers to decorate their homes until this time period. Besides, I didn’t want to start up the debate again on whether gardening should count towards the 20k goal in the Prehistoric Era or not.
- If you’re playing with seasons with this challenge, you don’t get to cheat mother nature! We’ll all just have to suffer together.
- If your Sims are getting cold, try using fireplaces to warm up your house!
- You might want to take advantage of that pool lot from the Prehistoric Era to keep you cool in the summer.
- Use this feature to make fun Holidays for each Era!
- You can also use the holidays to keep your kids/teens out of school by making a holiday every weekday that gives your Sims the day off. Keep in mind this will give your adults the day off from work too, though.
- In fact, if you have Seasons installed, you won’t be allowed to use bathtubs in this Era. You’ll have to use toddler pools to clean up your toddlers, and either a pool or Deodorizing Cream (Herbalism Skill Level 2) to keep your kids-elders clean. This is noted in the change below.
- This means that players with Jungle Adventures and/or Get Together can’t use toilets until Early Civilization, and (as noted above) players with Seasons can’t use bathtubs until Early Civilization. You must instead use the toilet bushes or the toddler pools, respectively.
- This rule mostly only applies to the Prehistoric Era, since everything crafted on the woodworking bench is allowed after that Era.
- You can still sell anything crafted at the woodworking bench, and can store crafted items in the family inventory to be used in a later Era.
- Allowed bathtubs here to support the above rule change.
- These aren’t allowed if you have Seasons.
- Enjoying your lovely new rain/snowfall? Well, you probably won’t be in this challenge. Seasons adds a whole new layer of difficulty to this challenge, but since it’s an optional pack you can change the in-game seasons settings as you see fit. The ones I’m talking about are found in Options>Seasons. If you want a hardcore experience, though, you’ll leave those death settings on.
- If you’re starting a new challenge with Seasons installed, you’ll probably want to set the season to Spring. This will give you time to reach the second part of the Prehistoric Era and at least give your Sims a hut to retreat to when it gets too cold. That, and a warm bed.
Hi, welcome to the challenge! I hope you're liking it so far. The latest update for it (in the wake of seasons) changed a lot of things, including the use of bathtubs in the Prehistoric Era. If you have seasons installed, the ways to get hygiene up are to swim and use deodorizing cream (level 2 herbalism recipe from outdoor retreat). I tested it out and toddlers do get hygiene from the toddler pools in seasons, which is what you have to use for them.
In regards to the hygiene mod not working, try taking it out. I don't know when, but at some point in the last year the Sims team patched the game to give your sims hygiene while swimming, so the mod isn't necessary. If it hasn't been updated by the author for seasons, it probably is what's disabling all hygiene gain for your Sims. I've been playing without it for a long time now and my Sims gain hygiene just fine.
If taking the outdated mod out doesn't work then by all means use any CC you find appropriate to make the game functional for you. The allowed/disallowed objects are mostly restricted due to historic accuracy and doesn't assume that people are using CC. If you find some CC that will make your experience more enjoyable, then use it! Even if it isn't allowed for the era. Some things are restricted for a difficulty balance, but in the end it's your game and up to you what you do/don't add into it.
Hope that helps! As always, let me know if you find anything too hard/broken/odd as you're playing along. Reports and suggestions here really do help.